Ohio Basement and Waterproofing Do It Yourself
By: Gianni DiFranco
Many times I get asked by homeowners if there’s anything they can do themselves to keep their basement dry. The truth is basement water issues are often aggravated by things the homeowner has done or hired someone else to do.
Often times it’s caused by letting water puddle in areas along your foundation that it shouldn’t be. Sometimes the ground settles and causes water to lay in these areas where it eventually finds its way inside your basement. Below, I will outline some important things which will help keep the water out of your basement where it belongs.
Decomposition
- Many people add mulch to their flower beds every spring to keep the outside landscape looking nice. This is fine as long as the ground around your foundation is graded to flow away from your basement. Usually after years of building up with mulch, the ground starts to slope back towards your basement. This is when it’s time to start removing the mulch which has mostly decomposed and turned into soil.
Rooting Up Your Foundation
- Plants that are close to your foundation are usually put there when they’re small and manageable. Over the years, these plants grow rising the areas of there root systems causing the ground to slope towards your foundation. To prevent this, plant them far enough away from your foundation so this can’t happen. When they have risen the ground next to your foundation, it’s time for them to be removed.
Tree Roots Causing Chaos
- Large trees should never be allowed to exist close to your foundation. The root systems often enter the piping that carries the water away from your foundation and deteriorates it. They say the root system of a tree extends past the branches, so this should give you a good ideal of how close you can be. If you have any large trees where the branches are close to your home, they probably need to go.
Unknown Pond Under The Porch
- Porches and decks are often built on homes with no attention to what the ground is doing under them. These structures are usually open and water can flow through them. I’ve looked under many decks that water puddles under even in dry weather. Before building a new deck or structure along your home, make sure the ground slopes away from your foundation. It’s much easier to take care of this before the deck or structure is built then after it’s built. Any good contractor will know this and make sure this doesn’t happen. This can be an expensive area to waterproof, as the area has to be excavated by hand with shovels as machinery can’t access it.
Money Down The Gutter
- If your gutters/downspout lines don’t go into pipes, make sure the water drains away from the foundation. Many times this can be done by adding extensions or splash blocks to carry the water away. This is a fairly simple fix and I’ve seen this correct basement water issues by itself.
Level It Off
- Any low areas near your foundation that hold water should be leveled off so water flows away from the foundation. When homes are built, many organic things like stumps and vegetation are buried during the back fill. When these things decay and decompose they usually leave a low area around your foundation.
These are some things that will help any homeowner keep they’re basement dry. If you have any questions or need an estimate for waterproofing your basement , please call us.
For more Basement Waterproofing Tips see Four practical reasons to waterproof your Ohio basement